Today, notebook (mobile) computers have incorporated many features that were once only available on desktop personal computers. Through the use of a docking station connected to a notebook computer, a user is allowed to access various services usually only available to desktop computers. Thus, when a notebook computer is connected to, or seated in, a docking station, the resulting system resembles a desktop computer.
A notebook computer is typically connected to a docking station through the use of a socket type connection. That is, the notebook computer is inserted into the docking station, and upon such insertion, connects through the use of a mating connector to the docking station. When disengaging the notebook computer from the docking station, the notebook computer is simply removed from the docking station.
One of the major problems with prior art methods of inserting and removing the notebook computer from the docking station is that the user must manually intervene before either the insertion or removal process can be performed.
Therefore, another prior art docking and undocking method uses circuitry that allows a user to insert and remove a notebook computer from a docking station without preconditioning by the user. Thus, even if an application program is running on the notebook computer, the notebook computer can be inserted or removed from the docking station without interruption of the application program.
This prior art system employs an interface, including a docking chip, that resides within the notebook computer that handles insertion and removal algorithms. While this prior art system is advantageous in that it allows docking and undocking without preconditioning, it has the disadvantage of complicating the notebook computer with more circuit components. The more circuit components included within the notebook computer, the higher drain there will be on the battery, the more expensive the notebook is to manufacture, and the larger the notebook computer will become.